Chapter 24 Paige
Chapter 24
Paige
Bonnie dragged me to Hug in a Mug after school. We were planning to go over my Ransom Devils player interviews, but she was exhausted and insisted she needed a decent latte if she was expected to work. It was hardly surprising; she was seriously addicted to coffee, and this had only been exacerbated since Tabitha’s sleepless nights had begun. The coffee shop was in the town across the river from Ransom, but it was one of the few places that stayed open late on weeknights.
Sunshine Hills was like a different world compared to our hometown. It was wealthier and filled with upmarket shops and fancy restaurants. Even the streets appeared cleaner and everything seemed to sparkle, despite today’s overcast weather. While Sunshine was only a five-minute drive from Ransom, I never really felt welcome. The people seemed to look down their noses at us and hold their purses a little tighter whenever we passed. I knew our town wasn’t as affluent, but just because people in Ransom weren’t rich didn’t mean we were thieves. Violet lived in Sunshine Hills, and she was one of the few exceptions. I was happy to see her working behind the counter when we arrived at Hug in a Mug.
When we walked through the door and the bell above it chimed, Violet looked up and a smile spread across her face. “Hey, Paige. This is a nice surprise.”
The coffee shop was mostly empty, probably because it was the end of the day and the weather outside was getting worse .
“Hey, Violet.” I returned her smile. “I was hoping you might be working today. Bonnie is in desperate need of a caffeine hit. Apparently, she can’t survive the evening without one.”
“I really can’t,” Bonnie replied. “Right now, I need a latte more than I need air to breathe.”
“Well, you guys are in the right place,” Violet said with a warm laugh. “How about you, Paige?”
“Uh, just a cookie would be great,” I replied. “Nobody wants to see what caffeine does to me.”
“It’s bad,” Bonnie agreed. “She had a Red Bull last year, and I had to keep reminding her she hadn’t actually grown wings. She lost it.”
Violet laughed. “Okay, a cookie and a latte. You guys find a table and I’ll bring them right out.”
We made our way over to one of the booths by the window, and Bonnie collapsed onto the seat. “I don’t know why we don’t come here more often,” she said. “Sunshine Hills is so pleasant.”
“Only when there’s no one around,” I said. “Don’t the people here make you feel a little uncomfortable?”
“Screw them.” Bonnie shrugged. “Besides, not everyone here has a problem with Ransom. Reed’s girlfriend seems nice.”
“Yeah, Violet’s great. But she’s also not originally from here.”
“Ah, that explains it then. Also explains why she wasn’t too chicken to go out with Reed. Most people are terrified to talk to the Darling Devils, much less date one of them,” Bonnie said. “I certainly couldn’t imagine doing it.”
I didn’t agree, but I nodded all the same. In truth, it was easy for me to imagine dating a Darling Devil. I was supposed to be doing just that tomorrow night. I was still struggling to come to terms with my feelings for Grayson and doing my best to avoid them entirely. But that was going to be hard when we were out on a date, practice or not.
“I guess you’ve got your own date to think about,” she went on. “Tell me all about how Damien begged you to go out with him, not once, but twice.” She was oblivious to the fact that the date I was thinking about wasn’t with Damien.
“He didn’t beg.”
“But he did corner you and ask you out again,” she said with a smug smile. “I’d say that shows how much he wants this. Your first kiss is just around the corner.”
I gave her a tight smile. My first kiss was the least of my worries right now.
Thankfully, our conversation was interrupted as Violet came over with Bonnie’s latte and my cookie. She placed them both down on the table. “Here you go, guys.”
“Thanks, Vi—” I lost my words in a laugh as I got a look at the cookie. It was in the shape of a hockey jersey and decorated with the colors of the Sunshine Hills Saints—our school’s biggest rivals. “Uh, maybe we don’t tell any of the Darlings I ate this.”
Violet’s hand lifted to her lips as she realized what she’d given me. “Oh no. I’m so sorry, Paige. I wasn’t thinking. My manager has a kid on the Saints and is all about school spirit. Can I get you something else?”
“It’s fine. It’s just a cookie.”
“Okay, well, you can always think of eating it as doing your part to ensure there’s one less Saints jersey in the world.”
“Good idea, I’ll do that.” I laughed again and took a rather aggressive bite out of one of the sleeves. I was ready to hate the cookie on principle, but it practically melted in my mouth. Yum. I had to control a groan. I might have considered getting Grayson one, but he’d probably never speak to me again.
Meanwhile, Bonnie was already downing her drink. “Mm. This is so good.”
“Feeling better?” Violet asked.
“Much.” Bonnie grinned.
“Will you be at the game on Saturday, Violet?” I knew she liked to watch Reed play whenever she got the chance, but couldn’t always make it because she had to work.
“Yeah, I managed to switch my shift so I can come. Reed said they’ll be signing their scholarship letters afterward and that their college coach is coming to watch the game too. It sounds like a pretty big deal. Will you both be there?”
“Yep,” I said. “Wouldn’t miss it.” I knew Gray would hate all the extra attention, but I couldn’t wait to see him sign his letter of intent. Years of work had built to this moment, and while he might not say it out loud, I knew this was his dream come true.
The bell over the door chimed as a customer walked in, and Violet glanced over at them before turning back to us. “I better get back to work, but let me know if I can get you anything else. ”
“Thanks, Violet.”
As she made her way back to the counter, I returned my attention to Bonnie, and gasped when I realized she’d already finished her drink.
“What happened to your latte?”
“What? I needed it.” She shrugged. “Plus, it was amazing. Maybe I should get another?”
“You’re not serious.”
“I’ll ask for a single shot.”
“You do not need more coffee!”
“Sure, I do. You know the saying: two coffees a day keep the doctor away.”
“That’s not the saying. And even if it was, they wouldn’t mean two coffees in ten minutes. You’ll be worse than me after a Red Bull.”
“When the coffee is this good, it’s totally worth the risk.”
I laughed and tried to refocus her attention by passing her the player profiles I’d been working on. “Do you want to look at these or not?”
“Obviously!” Her eyes were bright with anticipation, and she practically yanked the papers from my hands. “I’m so excited to see what you came up with.”
“Well, please remember, I’ve never done this before. So, if it’s bad, be gentle with me. Like you said, you can help me edit it as much as is needed.”
“Okay, okay...” She fell quiet as her eyes darted across the page. The silence was only broken by occasional soft murmurs that fell from her lips as she read. I had no idea what they meant, but there was a concerning crease to her brow .
I was far more nervous as I waited for Bonnie’s reaction than I cared to admit. It was silly how much effort I’d put into the article when it wasn’t being graded. I’d even neglected my other homework the last two nights to make sure it was perfect.
“So, what do you think?” I said when enough time had passed that I knew she must have finished, and I wasn’t sure I could wait another moment to hear her opinion.
“It’s good.” She slowly started to smile. “Like, really good.”
“You’re not just saying that, are you?”
“You think I’d lie about something like this?”
“Well, no, probably not.”
“Definitely not,” she replied. “I’m cutthroat when it comes to my paper. And if it was crap, I’d tell you to start over. But you’re a natural at this, Paige. I can’t believe you managed to get those boys to answer all these questions. How did you convince them to open up so much?”
“I—I don’t know . . .”
“And Coach Ray too?” Bonnie continued. “That man is a steel trap, and he’s always far too busy for the school paper. He usually just gives one- or two-word answers. But he must have been really engaged with you. You’re going to have to do more of these for me.”
I was stunned. I’d been anxious about interviewing the team, and had a bit of a shaky start with it, but by the end of the process it had felt so natural. And I was surprised by how much I’d enjoyed the writing part too. It felt like I’d tried a million different things recently, but this was the first time something I did had just clicked. Like it was meant to be .
“You really think that?” I asked. I hadn’t realized how important Bonnie’s approval was to me until she’d given it.
“I do. It’s funny and it’s fresh. It could use a little finessing, but it’s going to be amazing once we’re done with it.”
My cheeks warmed under her praise. It was quite the compliment coming from her. Bonnie wasn’t known for keeping her thoughts to herself, which I knew better than anyone. She must have honestly been impressed.
“Seriously, people at school are going to eat this up,” she continued. “Have you ever thought about doing something like this in college? You could study sports journalism. And maybe one day you could work in social media for a hockey team or something. You know, interviewing the players, writing game reports. You’d be great.”
I opened and closed my mouth several times because it had honestly never crossed my mind. I’d always struggled with writing, finding it frustrating when my words didn’t flow effortlessly onto the page. But interviewing the guys had been a lot of fun, and they’d all given such great answers that the writing part hadn’t been nearly as arduous as normal. Grayson’s dad had said I was good at talking to people. Maybe that was worth something after all. Could I really do something like this as a job?
“You know I’m not great at writing,” I said.
“Well, it seems you are when it’s about something you love.” She lifted the sheet of paper as if it were proof. “I know what you’ve always said, but struggling to write isn’t the same as being bad at it. This is brilliant, Paige. I don’t think anyone else could have gotten such great interviews from the team. And it’s clear how well you know your hockey. Maybe that’s where your future lies. ”
“I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Well, I think you should. You’re willing to give most things a try. Just because you’ve never thought about something doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be perfect for you.”
“Maybe,” I murmured. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten such good feedback on something. It felt nice to have finally done something right and worthy of genuine praise. Maybe Bonnie was onto something. This could be perfect for me.
I was jolted from my thoughts as my phone buzzed in my pocket. Reluctantly, I opened the message.
Mom: I just received another concerning email from your career counselor. You didn’t attend your meeting again. I knew you couldn’t be trusted, but don’t worry, I’m coming home a day early. See you Saturday.
“Seriously?” I muttered.
I’d been so wrapped up in preparing for the player interviews, I’d totally forgotten about the careers session. Mom sounded pissed. I closed my eyes and rubbed a finger along the ridge of my nose. The thought of her returning on Saturday didn’t exactly fill me with glee. Already, I had first kisses, unwanted feelings, and two dates to contend with. I didn’t need an angry mother added to the mix .
“What’s wrong?” Bonnie asked.
I opened my eyes and was met by her concerned expression. “My mom texted. She’s coming home early.”
“Oh.” She tilted her head. “Maybe that’s a good thing? You must be sick of sleeping on an air mattress in Cammie Darling’s bedroom.”
“Yeah, I guess it’ll be nice to be back in my own bed.” I shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. Let’s get started on these edits...”
Maybe this was for the best. I wasn’t looking forward to how angry Mom would be when she got back, but going home might give me some much-needed distance from Gray. My feelings for him had certainly escalated in the short time I’d been staying with his family, so maybe that had something to do with it. I just had to get through our practice date on Friday, and then maybe things would return to normal. Either that, or they might never be the same again.